The Pomp And Joe Show
Mike DeFabo joins to break down each Steelers head coaching candidate
21 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What are the most desirable qualities in Steelers coaching candidates?
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Bob, we're going to get to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic momentarily, but Limits and I left the last segment very confused. Limits was going to put in the show notes that you endorsed Mike McCarthy. I said, no, he didn't. He said he wouldn't hire him.
Where is he among your choices? My choice would be Chris Shula, just everything I've read about him, what I think of him from afar. I don't know the man. And, you know, the Steelers, they love history. They love, you know, having guys who they can mold into whatever they want, and he's a Shula, which would be interesting because, you know, Chuck Knoll had his associations with that name.
And I just think it makes sense to me. Also because I think he, I'm hoping he can bring in Sheilhaus if he doesn't get a job. Because he would be a tremendous, I think, upgrade on offense based on everything people talk about. And again, I know him not one bit. I've never met any of these guys. Perfect.
Chapter 2: What insights does Mike DeFabo provide about Brian Flores?
But he's a pass game coordinator. He's a guy who's up and coming. He's young. I think those are the kinds of guys you want in that seat. So that's why If I have a choice, that would be my choice. And again, I know nothing about any of these guys, you know, other than what you read. So I won't endorse anyone because I don't know him well enough to endorse him. I don't.
But you endorse Shula. Or at least say you'd pick him.
I would pick him based on everything I've read.
Yeah. Well, that's all we can do at this point. And this is a perfect segue into our guest, the one and only Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. He joins us. There he is, Bob.
He does a great job, too. I really do.
He does.
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Chapter 3: How does Mike DeFabo evaluate Mike McCarthy as a candidate?
And they had a really good story today, sort of a deeper dive on each one of these candidates, so many of whom, like you just said, are somewhat mysterious, Bob. And we brought on Mike to give a thumbnail sketch. This is how this is going to work. Are you ready for this, Bob? Mike, how are you?
I'm doing great. Joe, I love your creativity and how you always play games. This is going to be fun.
Yeah. Well, let's hope we can pull it off. Free associations coming later, don't. Well, this is kind of that, Bob. Here's what we're going to do. Excuse me. Mike is going to give us the most... Bob.
This is what happens when you get older now. You're younger than me, but you're gaining on me, so therefore you're going to have that stuff.
Well, no, I'm yelling at basketball players all the time. I feel like Jim Colony now. The most desirable and least desirable thing about each one of these candidates, and then a little nugget, Bob, something people might not know.
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Chapter 4: What makes Anthony Weaver an intriguing coaching candidate?
Okay. So we don't have time for, you know, in-depth character studies here. And the modern day attention span doesn't tolerate that anyway. Right, Bob? We're going to get the Twitter version of each guy, the elevator pitch on each guy. And if you feel compelled to interject at any point, Bob, I want to extend that invitation. Okay.
That's the ground rules of the game, which we sometimes don't follow, but that's okay. Mike, you know the rules or don't.
Here we go, Mike. Let's start with Brian Flores, who has had a phone interview and an in-person interview completed yesterday. The best and worst and maybe something we didn't know.
Well, I mean, he's known for his aggressive blitzing style of defense. He would very much flip into the Blitzburg personality. But I think more than that, he started out as a scout with the New England Patriots. We know that coaches within the Steelers organization have a tremendous amount of say in terms of personnel, talent evaluation, roster construction.
So I think maybe the hidden part of Flores that people aren't talking about is that side of him and that experience that he brings. On the flip side, the bad things, I mean, he had a losing record with the Miami Dolphins. And I wonder, it seems like he has a bit of a confrontational personality from what I've heard, made butt heads with some players.
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Chapter 5: What are the pros and cons of Chris Shula as a head coach?
And I wonder if he could fall into that category of mad scientist, genius coordinator, not exactly the right kind of head coach.
Bob, this is why we paid DeFabo the big bucks, right?
Yeah, but I do like you're talking about a CEO type of guy with a strong personality. He has that.
He does. He does. So at the end of each of his soliloquies, you and I and Limits and then Mike are going to put a quick grade on if the Steelers hired this guy, what grade would you give it? I'd give this a B. How about you, Bob? I'd give it a B plus. Limits? I'm with you, Joe. I say B. Mike?
I would say B plus. I think I would put him in my top three to five candidates.
Okay. The man who's over there today and the one everyone's probably most familiar with Mike McCarthy.
I'll start with the bad thing. I was talking to my mom yesterday on the phone and she's 64 years old. And she said, hold on, Michael, I'm getting a phone call, Francis, Francis. And I was like, mom, I'm still here.
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Chapter 6: What are the potential impacts of hiring Nate Sheilhaus?
And then she's like, I don't know what's going on. Your dad's calling me. And then she said, hold on. He's calling me back. Wait, wait, Is it still you? So Mike McCarthy is 62 years old. Hey, watch it, buddy. He's younger than Bob.
Don't make fun of these 60-year-old guys. Come on now.
Is he going to have to have DK Metcalf fixing his devices every week at the school's facility? And what's wrong with that? Or they can hire a guy in a blue wig. And so, I mean, the other part of it, how long are you going to keep him? How long does he want to keep coaching?
So I think that his age is the obvious question mark with him, not to mention he also got fired by the Dallas Cowboys and maybe that's leaving a bad taste in people's mouths. So I mentioned all the negatives and I think those are the things people are focusing on. On the flip side, the positive is,
Chapter 7: How does Jesse Minner compare to other candidates discussed?
reason the steelers are in this situation in in part is because they were unable to identify draft and develop ben roethlisberger's successor this is a quarterback league and he's worked with the likes of dac prescott aaron rodgers brett farve the list goes on and i think people forget and i forgot he won 12 games three times with the dallas cowboys that is not an easy franchise to win football games
and so i think that he would stabilize an offense and potentially help them get out of this quarterback purgatory and spinning of the wheels that they've been in which i think is the biggest problem with the franchise right now give us a little nugget we didn't know well do we know everything about him bob maybe mike can enlighten us i think people know just about everything but i love the fact that his uh father was a firefighter owned a bar
The idea of having a shot and a beer with Mike McCarthy intrigues me more than maybe any of the other candidates.
Yeah, I agree. That's what I said. He's a down-to-earth kind of guy who's never forgotten Greenfield. When he comes back, he gets involved in stuff. I like that. But then again, he's 62, so he's done a lot of things in his life.
But I don't necessarily see that as a downside. I don't either. You want to grade? I mean, how old is Andy Reid right now? He's older. Belichick was 70 by the time he was done with the Patriots, I think.
How about Danny Smith is 72 and he's still going to keep working. I saw that, yes. I love that.
I don't know. Am I starting to get sold on McCarthy?
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Chapter 8: What conclusions do the hosts draw about the coaching search?
I don't know. I've got to think about this for a little bit.
I think the quarterback development and his offensive mind is attractive.
It would be great if he was a senior offensive consultant, like turned into a Tom Moore type. You know what I mean, Mike?
Yeah, no, I know what you mean. Remember when they brought in Mike McDaniel and didn't they pair him with a really old defensive coach? I think it was. And I think that that made sense. Like bringing in a young offensive or, you know, bringing in a young defensive minded coach that fits Steeler identity, pairing him with this other guy.
The problem with that is my understanding is the head coach is going to have the opportunity to build his own staff. You can't say you're coming here as the defensive, you know, the defensive minded head coach and here's your offensive coordinator. It doesn't work that way. They're going to have the chance to pick their staff.
Never a bad idea, young with old. That's what we did with Pony and Cook. Remember that, Bob? Yeah. That turned out great.
He does have this ability to get the most out of quarterbacks. So I wouldn't be surprised, I guess, if they hired him. Ron? No. No, not Ron. Could you imagine Ron on the sidelines? You imagine when he all of a sudden decides, I'm not talking to you for three months, and you're my quarterback, and I'm not going to talk to you. I'm not going to give you a reason why.
Bob, I think some latent resentment is coming out from you about that. No, I'm just making fun. You've always said it didn't bother you. It didn't bother me.
You've brought it up many times, and I'm just using it as a reason to get a laughter out of Austin.
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